Always By Your Side
by FirecrackerCelica
Summary: Morgiana enters a world she has no broad knowledge about -a university. Here, she strives to learn everything she does not know. But in here also, she finds love; love toward an engaged prince. AU Rated T just to be safe. Please read!
1. Chapter 1: First Day: An Awkward Start

**A/N: Hey, guys! I just want to tell that this is an AU fic. This might be called as a highschool fic, but this does not only highlight the school. But I may include most parts from both the anime and manga. Please take note of the following:**

 ***Rashid Saluja, Alibaba's father and the King of Balbadd is alive here, alright.**

 ***Anise as well, but she is crowned the queen.**

 ***Aladdin is 9 y/o, Alibaba is 16, Morgiana is 13, Hakuryuu is 15, Kougyoku is 16. In short, I've just deducted at least a year.**

 **Okay, maybe those are the most important things, as of now. Enjoy reading!**

 _ **Chapter 1: First Day: An Awkward Start**_

 _Morgiana~_

Entering a prestige school, known all around the world is indeed a pleasure to anyone; especially when you got to study there for free. Everyone will be around to envy you, and you may even get the respect of anyone.

Well, that is how many people would see it.

However, it was different for Morgiana. For her, this opportunity must be immediately grabbed. This would be the best way to enhance her knowledge that would enable her to conquer the hard and cruel world.

Asking the obvious question, how did she get the chance to enter this school?

The answer is luck. Pure luck.

The Kingdom of Balbadd, the place where she currently lives, was the answer to her prayers. This kingdom -which built and was currently managing the school- held a raffle contest, wherein the interested citizens should enter their names for the contest.

Apparently, she didn't expect she would win, but then, she did. She was the luckiest person in the entire Balbadd, or for her, even the entire world. Out of tens of thousands of people who entered the contest, she was the one who had received the prize.

Wait a minute; what is so special with this school?

Firstly, it got it all. Starting from the field of basic knowledge of reading up to the complicated styles in combat battling and the study of magics. Of course, added to its luxurious part were the students enrolled. Not only the nobles of Balbadd, but also nobles from other empires, countries and kingdoms. She could even have a prince or a princess as a classmate. She had heard the news from her neighbors that the third prince of Balbadd studies in the school.

The Royal University of Balbadd is indeed a dream school to anyone.

The day when she would finally land a step on that prestigious school had come. Knowing that this would be her first, she hadn't had a sleep. She had also drained her mind in thinking what she shoud use as a bag. The school might had provided her a set of uniforms, but they hadn't given her the school supplies. She couldn't stop herself from pouting.

With mixed emotions, she flipped herself out from her bed and readied herself to go. Before she was able to fully stand up, she noticed that the loosen seams from her white mini dress had stuck in between the splintered wood from her bed. She puffed her right cheek and pulled the cloth from the grip of the wood. _You're quite stubborn, huh?_ She thought.

Inhaling air as if it was her first time to do it, she raised a hand and aimed at the corner of the stubborn bed and angrily hit the wood. As expected, her poor stubborn bed was damaged, but it didn't matter to her. She could still sleep there when night comes.

Turning to a hanged dress on the wall of her small house, she smiled a bit, barely visible from her face. She walked toward her school uniform and gently held it.

The dress was genuinely simple. It had a white color for the upper part and darker shade of magenta outlines for the triangular collar that hung down to the chest part and around the arm parts. The skirt had the same color. There was a thin black leather belt around the waist part that separated the torso from the hips. Located at the chest part between the divided collars was a magenta ribbon tied perfectly with a magnificent blue gemstone at the middle.

She once again felt really happy for obtaining such a thing.

Of course, before wearing it, she quickly entered a very small room inside the house bringing the uniform with her -which could be considered as a bathroom- and cleaned herself. When she came out, she wore the uniform with a very soft smile.

She turned to a desk beside her bed where a roll of papyrus, a bottle of ink and pen were neatly placed. She grabbed those and headed at the corner of the house. Hearing the loud growl of her stomach, she opened a wooden crate that looked like a treasure chest. Inside the crate were several things like shackles, a white cloth, an emblem of a bird-like creature, seemingly resembled a phoenix, a small purse and a pair of shoes that looked like it couldn't take three steps. If those were only just foods, those shoes were already rotten.

With another plead from her stomach, she grabbed the purse with her free hand and checked its insides. She was utterly disappointed for seeing only two silver bucks inside. Those were just enough to ride a public carriage to the school. They couldn't buy even a single meal.

Sighing in disbelief, she inserted the purse in her pocket. _I need to work overtime later._ She grabbed the shoes -since she had no choice- and wore them. She wasn't used to wearing those, since she only used her bare feet. She imagined herself like a dork entering a well-known school with a pair of barely usable shoes.

Before heading to the door, she grabbed a short brown rope and tied it around her hair in the left side of her hair, making a side ponytail.

As soon as she finished, she opened her creaky door, and was greeted by the loud voices of the people outside. She turned her head to her right, where the sun rises. The sky was still a bit dark, but streaks of purple and pink were seen. However, since her little house was a bit far from the campus, waking up as early as possible was really necessary.

Gathering the air of courage, she took her first step out of her house as student, full of hopes and dreams. Finally, she would be able to do anything she would want; but once she finishes her studies. She imagined what kind of place was that school; a very huge place of knowledge with a beautiful scenery.

Feeling a strong beat inside her chest, she happily spanned like a graceful dancer, the faint sunlight against her scarlet hair. It didn't matter to her even the eyes of the people around were all at her. It was all that she was very happy.

 _Ting! Ting! Ting!_

Deafening rings of a bell knocked her out of joyful thoughts. She jumped in surprise and instinctively turned to where the sound came from.

" Hey, young lady! Why are you there at the middle of the road!? " A pissed man driving a carriage, wearing the usual clothes in Balbadd yelled at Morgiana.

" Ah! Oh!... " She turned around and saw the annoyed stares from people. Ashamed, she turned back at the driver and bowed down. " I'm really sorry, sir! " She bit her bottom lip and blushed in embarrassment as she set herself away from the road.

" Better know the place of dancing, kid! " The man prepared to move forward again when he noticed the clothes she was wearing. " Hey, do you plan to go to the university? "

Hearing the precious word, Morgiana raised her head and looked upon the driver. " Yes, I do! " She excitedly nodded her head, as she took some steps forward. Her happiness was brought back to her when an opportunity for a ride to come.

" I can take you there, " The mood of the driver changed, as she saw the joy within Morgiana's eyes.

She almost jumped, but a thought entered her mind; the contents of her almighty purse. If she would pay the driver with all of her money, right now, she should bid goodbye to food and say sorry to her tummy. " But... I have nothing to pay you, " Her smile vanished with the wind and was exchanged with a neutral expression from her face.

" Since I have a delivery right next to the school campus, as I've said, I could take you there, "

Again, she almost jumped but had conquered the urge to. She just smiled and bowed down, as a sign of gratitude. " Thank you very much, sir! "

The man returned the smile. " Ride at the back. Open the door by pulling it and carefully avoid stepping on the goods. Got it? " The driver instructed Morgiana and pointed using his thumb.

Morgiana bowed down once again and did what was told. She sat down right next to the window with an unremovable smile plastered on her face. To think that she would get a free ride was really awesome. The day was perfect, as of now.

The carriage finally moved, which sent another set of joy for Morgiana. Actually, what she had as a plan was to wake up early and walk to the school. But another something lucky came and now, she was riding a carriage. She only hoped that her luck would remain for the rest of her school life.

" By the way. What's your name? "

Morgiana's attention was caught by the question of the driver. At first, she hesitated saying her name but considering that this person kindly let her ride, she chose to say it. " My name is Morgiana, sir, "

"Hmm... Morgiana it is! That's a remarkable name you have! " The man said with a laugh.

She sweatdropped and turned back to the window. The houses built using cemented rocks, people trading goods, the river channels all around the city were just some of the sights around. Although little, the City of Balbadd was the center of trade in the southeast seas. It had the perfect location. But what she really wanted to see aside from the school was the palace. She wanted to catch, even a glimpse of it.

" So you don't have the hobby to talk, Lady Morgiana, "

" Ah! It's not like that, sir. I just don't have anything to converse about, " She said, faintly. That man hit her directly in her nerves. Talking wasn't really her talent especially toward someone she just met, or a stranger. She'd rather spoil the saliva inside her mouth.

" You're like my daughter, Lady Morgiana, " The man said with a sincere smile.

Hearing it the second time, she wondered why the middle aged man kept referring her in a formal way. " Uhm, sir. May I ask... Why do you call me in such a way? " She raised an eyebrow and turned to the man expectantly.

" It has been a manner among the people here, that once we see someone, whether popular or not, that wears the uniform of the university, we must talk to them as if they are royalties. It is also a show of respect, " The man looked over her shoulders, as he ordered the camels with a weak whip to turn right.

" Oh, I see, " She nodded and looked at her knuckles. " Uh, sir, what is your name? " Realizing the obvious, she asked.

"Everyone calls me Alex, but my name is Alexander. Pretty long name, isn't it? " Mister Alex smiled.

Morgiana nodded and once again looked at the window. From the corner of her eyes, she saw a part of a much larger structure. Her eyes grew large as she leaned at the window to get a better view.

" Hmm... That's the palace, as you can see. I've been there, "

She became curious and very excited to ask the sight of the palace. " Really?! Sir, how does it look like? " Excitedly, she asked, as she turned her attention to Alex.

" Just as you expect. Large doors, huge hallways, wide space, elegant structure. It is a sight to behold. I actually worked for a member of the royal family, " He said, as if it was the most common thing.

She tried to imagine the sight, but since she hadn't even stepped a toenail on a place like that, she still wished to see it personally. " Wait, sir Alex. You said you've worked for a member of the royal family. Who was it and what was your work? "

" Well... " He turned the carriage to another direction by weakly whipping the animals. " I'd worked for the third prince of Balbadd, as his driver. That child... I'd never seen him smile, even once! "

" Third prince... " She bowed her head for a while and remembered the topic of her neighbors one day. " He is the one who studies in the same school, isn't he? " She turned to Sir Alex, who nodded his head in answer.

" Rumors have it, that when he was younger, he was very cheerful and loud. But I quite don't believe, 'cause I never saw him be like that. Well who knows... I was new in Balbadd when I worked for him, " Alex shrugged and turned the carriage in another direction.

" I see... So where were you from before going here? " She asked, changing the topic.

" I was from Reim, but my fate led me here, where I met my wife, "

 _Fate..._ " Sir Alex, may I ask, why aren't you working for the prince right now? "

" That... It's because of my daughter, "

" Daughter, you say? "

" She's about your age. Because of working in the palace consumed all of my time and required me to sleep and eat there, I lacked time for my family. So I decided to resign and find another job. Although I knew that my salary would decrease, as long as I'm with my wife and daughter, I'm fine with that, "

" I respect you, Sir Alex. You have chosen to dedicate your time with your daughter. I'm sure she's very happy, "

Alex paused and looked over his shoulder and smiled. " You're right, Lady Morgiana, "

Morgiana smiled softly and turned back at the window. Her heart pounded so loud when she saw a set of huge structures, indicating that they were so near to he school. She mouthed the word, " _Wow_ " as her eyes grew as the sizes of saucers.

" So we're here, Lady Morgiana, " The carriage pulled over, taking a full stop just near the large gate of the school.

Morgiana took a deep breath and went out of the carriage. Before entering the campus, she bowed down multiple times at Mister Alex. " Thank you very much for your kindness, Sir Alex. If I will be given a chance, I would pay for my debt, sir. Thank you, "

Alex shook his head. " Oh, no. No need. Just do your best out there, alright! " He smiled and raised a thumb.

" Please say my regards to your daughter, mister, " She bowed one last time and smiled softly.

The carriage moved forward and Morgiana saw the kind driver waved his hand. She smiled and turned to the huge silver gate of the university.

 _This is it._ The gate was expertly carved, mainly by melting the steel. The huge " _S_ " was at the center of the gate, which took her curiosity. Several guards from the palace across the tall school fences were also seen. They all held their spears, while some had swords clipped on their sides.

The royal guards opened the gate for her. She could feel that her heart was about to explode. The moment of finally seeing the campus was right in front of her very eyes.

She took her first step and a strong wind blew. She held her hair and gripped the papyrus tighter, as she closed her eyes. Feeling that the breeze got weaker, she opened her crimson red eyes and became totally amazed by the sight -the school campus appeared like it was a city itself.

Following the straight brick path toward the main building, she constantly turns her head to all directions, just to be able to see everything, which was quite impossible because of the large place.

Her path was made of red bricks, with other paths interconnected with each other. The ground had green grass, with several bushes and trees. Wherever she tried to turn her head, there would be a shade from the trees. The buildings had different designs, based on their uses. She could also see the way the students walked; they were so proper. Because of that, she fixed her composure.

Of all the scenery, what she liked the most was the sweet smell of the air. The gentle blow of the wind that brushed her skin eased her and made her relax. Who would have thought, that behind the tall walls that surrounded the school, there was this kind of place.

The feeling, the sight and the moment were all perfect.

Until...

 _Ooof!_

 _Aw!_

...not until she bumped into someone, who she obviously didn't know. Her things fell down on the ground because of the impact. Her mind was in panic as she picked the papyrus. _What if this person hates to be touched? What if because of this, I'd get expelled?_ She thought, as she avoided having an eye contact with the particular person.

" I'm really sorry, I wasn't paying attention as I walk. Sorry, " She nervously said, as she tried to find the only pen she had. She noticed that the person shifted and kneeled. Still doing her very best not to look up, she found her pen about a meter away from her. Of course, picking it would be very easy.

" Maybe this is yours- "

... Or not.

Suddenly, Morgiana's heart pounded so loud, seeing that someone's hand was on top of hers. The guy -because of the voice and the uniform- also tried to pick the pen for her, but since her reflexes were fast, she got the pen first, which left the guy her hand.

She didn't know why, but some force made her look up.

 _Thud! Thud!_

The strong and loud beats of her heart rang her ears. She didn't know if she was nervous or whatsoever; the feeling was somehow foreign to her.

Her eyes met the guy's golden orbs. It was the sun's bright rays that enhanced the beauty of his eyes, as his blonde hair sparkled with the light. The time seemingly stopped, as she bore her eyes in this stranger's. _What's with those..._ It was like, the golden orbs were hypnotizing her.

She noticed that the guy's lips moved a bit, which could be considered as a smile. She could also feel that the heat was rushing to both of her cheeks and there was like a huge horde of butterflies in her stomach.

The stare of the guy somehow sharpened, as his eyes rolled to his left. " So... "

" Eh? " She murmured as she turned her head toward the same direction where the guy was looking at.

It was their hands.

Seeing this somehow awkward position, Morgiana quickly lifted her hand with the pen and stood up, her eyes meeting the ground. " I'm really sorry. I need to go, " With one last bow, she walked pass the guy, still in panic and confusion.

" Wait! "

She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the word.

 **A/N: Alright, so that's it! This might have been a cliché, or something, but please give this story a chance! I also hope that you enjoyed reading. Review if you have seen grammar mistakes or anything. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2: Something I Don't Have

**A/N: Hello! Thank you very much for the first four reviewers! (** _ **randomperson, Any33, waterlily12 and CJ Jolly**_ **) I hope you continue to support the story!**

 **Here it is! The 2nd Chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2: Something I don't have**_

 _"Wait!"_

 _She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the word._

* * *

 _~Morgiana_

"It has to be me, who should have apologized."

She lifted her head quite, as she gripped the pen tighter.

"Sorry, miss."

She mentally gasped, out of her silent nature. _What was that?_ Feeling that she should somehow talk to the guy a bit longer, she turned around but found no sign of him. She just thought that what happened had no one to blame and it was just an accident.

But she somehow felt something that had sparked.

"How could she?"

"That...girl looks ridiculous! "

"She does not even know her place!"

"Look at her shoes!"

Hearing the murmurs from the people around her, she faced the main door and just decided to ignore those words. As she continued to walk toward the reception counter where she would know her schedule, all students around had been eying her, like she was a humongous garbage that entered into the school.

She had no clue why her fellow schoolmates acted like that, so she stopped and looked at everyone with a full pledged poker face.

"I see that all of you are looking at me in a gruesome manner that makes me feel unwelcome. What's wrong?" Of course, she just said it inside her head so no one would hear it.

After her quite intimidating stare, a group of female students circled her. She felt no fear because she knew that she could fight them in any way she would want. But since she just entered the university, she fought the urge to break a bone.

"So you don't understand, girlie, " The tallest, seemingly the group's leader asked. She had a brown curly hair hanging gracefully behind her, but her deep frown contradicted it. Her emerald eyes flashed with annoyance toward the red haired teen.

Morgiana clenched both of her fists. "Yes, I don't understand."

The four girls narrowed their eyes and gasped. "What?" They exclaimed in unison.

"That's why I apologize. Sorry for the thing I did that had offended you," She bowed down, as she walked toward the counter, leaving the girls with their mouths open.

Morgiana remained calm and collected despite of all those hot glares. She sighed as she stood straight.

After getting the information about where would her classroom be, she walked quickly and at the same time, she checked every room numbers.

Considering that she was a first timer, getting a hard time finding the rooms would be imminent.

" _Building A, Second Floor, Room 37,_ "Were the words and numbers written on the paper given to her. She knew that the main building was 'Building A' itself, because of a huge signboard located at the reception counter. She couldn't be mistaken.

Because of her haste, she wasn't able to observe the surroundings. She could do it later anyway. But in anywhere she would turn her head; the whole place seemed to shine because of the gold and silver chandeliers, the smooth floor and the large glass windows.

Finally, after some minutes, she saw a fairly huge wooden door labeled at the top as " _Room 37_ " in Arabic Calligraphy.

 _Kriiiing! Kriiiing!_

The loud bell that indicated that all students must be inside their rooms almost pulled her eardrums out, since she had a very sensitive hearing. Only if she could complain, she had already done it from the very start.

 _What's wrong with this place?_ First, her day started with a blast. Free ride, beautiful place, fresh air. But when she entered the main door, misfortune events had occurred. Were these the prize of her luck from the start? She only hoped not.

Inhaling a handful of air, she gently turned the golden knob, as she finally entered the classroom.

 _Whoa..._ She thought. Her eyes were all fascinated by the sight. The room was indeed wide for a single class. The ceiling was quite high, with an admirable chandelier made out of crystals and steel. There was a large space at the back of the last desk, apparently for doing practices which regard the proper attitudes to be done. There was also a set of glass windows identical to the ones by the hallways. The board was also good and the well-built desks for the students. All in all, this classroom was very elegant.

"Miss... You may enter the room, but please stay in front of the class and introduce yourself, " The skinny lady, the instructor, adjusted her position and gestured Morgiana to come. The teacher was a red hair, and she had the same color of the eyes as Morgiana.

Since this was her first time to study, the class assigned to her was the Etiquette and Social Studies Class. This was where she would be trained the proper behavior and where she would learn things and the ways the people of Balbadd lived.

She placed a stray strand of hair behind her ear, as she took her way toward the middle, while the eyes of her classmates were all into her.

Thinking for the right word she should say, she paused for a while. "Good day, everyone, " She said with a short bow. "I am Morgiana, previously from the province of Qishan," She said, with a hint of nervousness.

"I see. So you are one of the new students," The instructor said, as she observed Morgiana from head to toe. "You can take the front seat. Welcome," The teacher smiled at her, which made her relieved. She was quite fortunate to have a good teacher.

She sat on the chair beside the window, since it was the only one available.

"Alright. It looks like every one of you is here," The instructor stood up. "I am Irish, your teacher for the semester. Just for you to know, I will also be your instructor when you go into the course of combat battling," The red-haired lady, with some identical features like Morgiana smiled.

"I was originally from Katargo, a place somewhere in the Dark Continent, as everybody calls it," Instructor Irish walked around, steadily observing her students.

Hearing the place mentioned, Morgiana flinched, as she narrowed her eyes. The Dark Continent... Katargo, her hometown. She wanted to go there badly. She wanted to see the place of the sun, and the place where she was born. That was her dream all her life.

Irish paused as she rolled her eyes to Morgiana's direction. "Me and Miss Morgiana belong in the same race."

Morgiana clenched her fists. A person, just like her was near her. She didn't expect that there would be someone like her.

"Well, I guess I should not be telling my private life, should I? Let us start with our first activity..."

* * *

"Aww... That was so tiring..." A student holding his back groaned in pain, as he leaned on his chair.

"I don't feel like standing up again with a pile of books on top of my head!" Another whining student complained.

Morgiana was all annoyed by the complains of her classmates, but she could understand them. Four hours of push-ups and crossing on the balance beam with about five books on head were all torture to others with a normal body. But those were just a breeze for her since she was different from all of them.

Seeing the small smirk from Instructor Irish's lips, she turned her head and met her teacher's gaze.

"All of those were too easy for you, right?" Both of their crimson red eyes met.

Morgiana nodded once. "Yes."

"Too easy for a thirteen year old Fanalis," Miss Irish smiled, as she turned her head to the direction of her other students.

Morgiana could really feel some sort of happiness, for seeing a Fanalis like her. But looking deeper at Miss Irish, she seemed to had experienced pain, just like what she had. Their race was not treated well in the world.

"Hakuryuu Ren, or should I say, _prince_ , are you doing fine?"

"Ah, yes. Yes Professor Irish."

Out of curiosity, Morgiana turned her head at the back and saw this Hakuryuu Ren. She thought hat he was the 'Third Prince of Balbadd' they were all talking about.

Hakuryuu scratched the back of his head and smiled a bit. Beaten by her burning curiosity, Morgiana looked at Professor Irish.

"Instructor Irish, may I ask," Morgiana reluctantly called for the teacher's attention.

Irish looked at her direction. "Yes, Morgiana?"

"Where did he come from? Is he the prince of Balbadd?" Rising a bit from her chair, she asked.

Irish's eyes grew large for a short while, as she chuckled shortly. "Not actually. He's from the Kou Empire."

"I see."

"Are you interested with the prince of this kingdom?" Professor Irish asked, with a tune of teasing.

"I just find him intriguing," Morgiana puffed her right cheek.

"Intriguing, huh. Maybe you can see him later. That boy is really good, especially in the Royal Swordplay. Befriending him would be easy for you, if you talk," Irish tapped Morgiana's shoulder as she once again faced the class.

Morgiana looked at her teacher's hand, as she watched her go. _A friend._ That thing never entered her imagination even once. She couldn't even picture how it would look like to have friends. Feeling the loneliness, she turned to the window with a hand supporting her chin, as she sighed.

"Okay class. You have a half-hour break. The school canteen is at Building C," With that, Miss Irish exited the room. As soon as she was completely not inside, the students groaned and stood up, all heading outside.

Realizing that she should do the same, the Fanalis girl stood up, as she calculated her money. Would she buy something? Or not? If she wouldn't, she could not regain her strength. Maybe a piece of bread may do the job.

Before she was able to open the door, someone called for her.

"Uh, Lady Morgiana," The Kou Prince stood behind her.

She turned around and met his gaze. "Is there something wrong?" She asked, tilting her head a bit.

"I just wanted to say...hi," He clenched his right hand in front of him, as he joined his left open palm with it, bowing slightly. "I am Ren Hakuryuu, the fourth prince of the Kou Empire in the east. It's nice meeting you."

Morgiana bowed down. "Uhm..." Feeling a bit shy, she tried to search for the right words to say. A prince was in front of her and she almost didn't know what exactly to do. "Pl-Pleased to make your acquaintance, " She wanted to go out , as in, now. She was not that good in talking with someone like him. Almost to all people, actually.

She raised her head, enabling her to see the prince better. His hair was in dark blue, almost near to black. He was, of course, taller than her. But of all his features, what took her curiosity was Hakuryuu's left burned eye. She didn't bother to ask, because she knew it was something too personal.

Noticing that Morgiana was somehow uneasy, Hakuryuu stood straight, as he smiled a bit. "I can sense that you're in quite a hurry, Lady Morgiana. Maybe we can talk later."

"I'm sorry," She felt like she had somehow shown him that she was not interested, but she had no choice. It's the stomach that commands the whole body. Before coming out, she bowed once.

"Uh-" _It's fine._ Hakuryuu was left behind, as he sighed, staring at Morgiana's wake

Heading outside the building with a rumbling stomach, she was choosing whether she would run like a lion and ignore everything, or retain her composure. She had not eaten her breakfast, since she hadn't had any.

Puffing both of her cheeks, she inhaled air, as she ran. The other students could think anything they would want. It didn't matter to her as long as she could eat.

Dashing past people while leaving them spinning, she used her sense of smell to know where the school canteen was. The instructions from her teacher were ignored by her.

After a minute of almost light-speed run, she finally reached the place of food. She panted, as she held her knees. _Here it is._

Again, this university never ceased to amaze her. Their dining place was the best. It was way better than the one in Qishan. The place was huge, enough to hold an approximate number of a thousand students. There were small and long tables, depending on the group of people to occupy.

She headed toward the place where the food was served, based on what she had seen. The students were forming a line, so she went at the back. After a few seconds, she felt that someone was behind her in the line. She didn't bother to turn around, since she was all hungry.

But the girl in her front and the others did what she didn't do.

"H-hey... You can come behind me, if you like..." The freckled girl in her front said, as she was twirling her hair and batting her eyelashes; light speed.

Morgiana narrowed her eyes and glared. If that someone behind her goes _behind_ the freckled girl, she would be the one affected. Annoyed by the constant adored stares from the other students near her, she pouted as she crossed her arms.

"No. It would be unfair to the people at the back."

 _Yes, it would definitely be..._ She thought. But something struck her; the voice was familiar, like, she had heard it sometime.

Taking some steps forward as the line moves, she finally remembered where did it come from -it was from the guy this morning.

Reminiscing the particular event, the panic she had felt came back. _Why did he say sorry? It's my fault. Should I apologize?_

But thinking made her stomach go berserk. She even heard it growl.

After a few minutes, she finally reached the counter. A chubby lady greeted her with a smile, as she waited for Morgiana to order.

 _Fish..._ She craved for fish. But based on the menu, her penny could only buy a toast of bread and a small cup of orange juice. She could imagine herself drooling for the delicious bass. Sighing, she puffed a cheek and grabbed the purse in her pocket.

Well, that was what she was supposed to do.

Before she was able to completely slide the purse out of her pocket, a hand grabbed hef wrist, making her stop. Out of instinct, she turned right.

"I'll buy it for you," The guy this morning said, as he let go of her hand and looked at the attendant. "Three orders of that, please," He said as he paid for the fish dish.

Still dazed and quite embarrassed, Morgiana looked at the guy with a perplexed emotion. _Him again. But why?_

"Yes, your-" Before the lady was able to finish her sentence, Morgiana saw that the guy squinted his eyes, as a sort of signal that made the attendant stop.

"Y-Yes, sir," The lady nervously said as she bowed once, turning around to get the orders.

Once again, Morgiana was surprised and at the same time, spooked. _This guy..._ For her, he was a bit mysterious. His radiance was bright, like he was about to swallow everyone around. But his emotion was unreadable. She didn't know if he was happy or whatsoever.

"Here are your orders, sir," The lady carried a large tray which contained three smaller trays. She carefully placed the trays in front of her.

Realizing that she should somehow help, Morgiana grabbed two trays, leaving one for the blonde guy who bought lunch for her.

"Eh? Can you carry those all alone? Maybe I should call for someone," The guy raised a brow, as his eyes grew large, reluctant to let Morgiana carry those.

"No, don't call anyone. I can do this," With that, she walked outside the line with both trays in hand. As she continued to walk, the guy constantly went side by side, which made her annoyed. She stopped and turned at him. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Uh, do you know where to come?" The guy lifted his shoulders for a short time as he smiled sheepishly.

"Uhm..." _Oops._ Obviously, she didn't know. She rolled her eyes to the ground and pouted, with a hint of pink on her cheeks. "Where...?" She whispered.

"Follow me, then."

Morgiana nodded, as she followed the guy. Maybe she should ask his name later.

After a minute, they stopped beside a table with a blue haired child, sitting on one of its chairs.

"Aladdin, she will eat with us!" The guy happily declared to the kid, named Aladdin, as he placed the tray he was holding in front of the blue clad kid.

 _Eat... With them?_ Of course, she couldn't believe it. This guy bought her lunch and he was letting her eat with his friend. It was clearly unbelievable. She was too shy to accept the offer.

"Uh, no need. Don't you think, this is a little bit...this is too much?" She said, as she placed the other tray on the table. She shook her head as she took a step backward.

"Aww... Come on!" The guy and Aladdin whined.

"It's really fine, big sister!" Aladdin beamed, as he raised his hands in the air.

"Yeah, he's right. We have no qualms," The guy looked at her with a blank expression, seemingly reading what was inside Morgiana's mind.

Morgiana stared back at him. They went on this staring battle for some seconds, until the guy frowned.

"Man, don't be shy!" The frown was quickly replaced with a grin, as he grabbed the tray which Morgiana held and placed it on the table.

"Huh?" The Fanalis' eyes grew large as they followed the tray. "Just take a seat and enjoy our company!" The guy pushed her hastily, yet gently in front of the table. He prepared the chair for Morgiana, which she hesitantly accepted.

"Okay..." The blonde guy sat beside Aladdin and in front of Morgiana. "...so where do we start?" He asked, as he placed a hand on his chin.

"Oh! Oh! I know! Let's introduce ourselves!" Aladdin proposed with a smile.

"Then I'll do it!" The guy fixed his posture, as he tapped his chest with a clenched fist.

"Why?" Unsatisfied from what he had heard, Aladdin looked at the guy, as if saying, _What makes you do it?_

The guy scoffed. "I'm the eldest, that's why!"

Instead of being pissed off by what she saw, Morgiana somehow felt being around with those two. Maybe this was how it felt when she only had friends.

"Alright!" The guy cleared his throat. "Miss, as you have heard, this brat beside me is Aladdin," He pointed Aladdin with a hand. "And as for me, I'm Alibaba. What about you?" Alibaba and Aladdin looked at her expectantly. "What's your name?" Alibaba added.

 _Aladdin and... Alibaba._ She bowed once. "My name is Morgiana."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3: What is this feeling?

**A/N: Oh gosh, I was so overwhelmed by the feedbacks, guys! Thank you for your appreciation! I promise to do my best... I also hope that you guys will continue to look forward with the story.**

 **I give all the credits to the wonderful artist and owner of the image I use in this story.**

 **Alright, go on!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3: What is this feeling?**_

 _Morgiana~_

"So, it's Morgiana?" Alibaba looked at her, confirming what he had heard.

Morgiana nodded her head. "I just want to ask you," Clenching her fists on her lap, she raised her head and looked at Alibaba carefully.

"Hmm? What is it?" Alibaba tilted his head a bit as he raised a brow.

"Why did you buy this for me?"

There was a built awkward silence among them after she asked. Alibaba and Aladdin simultaneously blinked, as Morgiana stayed serious.

 _What's with these guys? Couldn't they understand me?_ She thought, as she clenched her fists.

Aladdin flashed another beam. "Don't be shy about it, Morgiana onee-san!" He elbowed Alibaba, who stared at his plate, wearing his sulking face. "A-Alibaba-kun?" The blue haired boy became worried suddenly.

Noticig the sudden change of mood from Alibaba -and at the same time, feeling guilty about it- she leaned a bit, trying to look at the blonde in his eyes. "Alibaba-san?"

"Didn't you like it?" A whining voice from the blonde was heard, which made Morgiana guiltier than ever. The tune was about to cry, as she heard him sniff.

She gasped. "N-No! I-I mean, I really like it, but you don't need to do that for me," She settled down and puffed a cheek. "But I'm really grateful," She added.

Alibaba raised his head and flashed a sharp stare against Morgiana. "Then go and eat it."

Her eyes narrowed, as well as Aladdin's.

"I've seen that you really like that, so I bought it. I've also seen the poor content of your purse. I hope that what I did was just alright with you," He bowed slightly.

Morgiana was flabbergasted. Lately, he was quite hyped, but his mood quickly changed like the weather. _This is not right._

She thought that Alibaba must not feel pity to her. She could manage a day without anyone's help, so why would a person like him; help her in a way like that? She didn't deserve to be treated specially. What she compared to herself be trash.

Alibaba's stern gaze continued to pierce through her soul. But being intimidated by that wasn't the effect to Morgiana. Although that the stare was truly scary, she could sense some sort of sadness within.

Morgiana averted her eyes and focused at her plate. She grabbed the spoon and fork and started to brawl with the food like there was no tomorrow at all. As she ate, Alibaba and Aladdin's eyes grew into the size of platters as they opened their mouths. Even the other students did the same.

The blonde gulped and looked at Aladdin. "Say, Aladdin."

Aladdin turned to him and nodded.

"We won't definitely lose to her!" Both of them exclaimed, as they started to eat without any hint of manners. Fish bones, grains of rice and others spilled as they did the ultimate eating contest. Some of the students almost threw up for witnessing the three eating.

After a few minutes, when all of them were done, the trio looked at each other. They found themselves all messed up, like someone puked at them. Aladdin started to giggle, followed by a crack of a smile from Alibaba. On the other side, Morgiana played with the fish bone in her mouth.

Alibaba couldn't resist the urge to laugh a lot, which made Aladdin to stop somehow.

"Ohmygosh! Wahahah!" He laughed and felt his stomach twist and his lungs out of air. While he was experiencing the natural effect of happiness, he coughed multiple times and almost stumbled from his chair.

"Okay..." The blonde gasped for air, as if he just escaped from drowning. "I'm quite fine now..." When he looked at Morgiana, he giggled again, but this time, he was able to successfully stop the burst of laughter.

Morgiana placed the funny fish bone on the plate. She re-imagined the moments when Alibaba laughed like crazy; that was the first time she saw someone really happy. She didn't know how it happened, since she forgot when she last laughed. But then, seeing someone put on that kind of face in front of her made her joyful as well; especially when she made the admired guy in the campus to laugh until his gut blasted.

"That's my Morgiana!" Alibaba winked and raised a thumb, which somehow made her feel...something.

"Hey Morgiana onee-san," Aladdin raised a hand.

The Fanalis snapped out of her daze and looked at Aladdin. "Yes?"

"I just found your name too long. Can I call you Mor?"

"Uhh..."

"' _Mor_ '? Where did you get that?" Alibaba raised a brow and clung an arm on the chair's back.

"I just shortened her name!" The blue haired kid said brightly, as he turned at Morgiana once more. "What do you say?"

Morgiana had no choice but to accept it. No one could ever resist the kind of puppy eyes Aladdin had. _"Mor"_ wasn't bad after all. "It's up to you."

"Yey! From now on, I will call you, Mor!" Aladdin smiled.

"Don't dare to call me, Ali," The blonde shifted and crossed his legs.

Aladdin flashed a mischievous look at Alibaba, which sent him a chill running painfully into his spine. "That wasn't my plan, Alibaba-kun."

The blonde narrowed his eyes. The ominous tune was an enough sign that Aladdin was thinking something bad, he was going to regret. "Remember, Aladdin. I have here my dagger," he said, threatening.

"I was just kidding, you know."

"What?! Then stop making fun of me," Alibaba blew upward, lifting some of his hair strands covering a part of his forehead.

Morgiana concealed a smile as she watched the pair. She wondered if they were somehow related since they were so close.

"By the way..." Alibaba turned to Mor, as he placed a hand below his chin. "Morgiana, what class are you attending?"

Morgiana shortly squinted her eyes. "I'm in Class E. I am actually a new student."

The blonde eyes' narrowed. "I knew it!" He snapped a finger.

"Huh?" Aladdin did the surprised look for her.

"You are the one who won in the raffle, right?" He leaned on the table.

"Uh, yes," She nodded in agreement.

Alibaba's eyes flattened, as he settled down on his seat. "That Ahbmad..." He mumbled. Morgiana was about to ask who was 'Ahbmad' but she was taken aback. "Haven't you received the financial support? Or an apartment south of the city? Or..." He pressed his chin, a gesture of thinking. "...or a pair of new shoes?" He said awkwardly.

Mor gasped. _How did he know all that?_ Her mind went in panic, though there was no proper reason to be. The only words that came out of her mouth were, "I haven't," which somehow enraged Alibaba even more.

"Alibaba-kun, what's the meaning of that?" Aladdin held Alibaba's hand firmly, which calmed the raging boy.

The blonde stopped from steaming, as he exhaled it all. "Nothing," Although that that single word was accepted by Aladdin, it only added to his worries.

Morgiana felt the same. She thought that maybe Alibaba had some issues within his family and those were the reasons of the sadness she had seen in him.

"Well..." Alibaba changed the look of his face. "...what can you say about the school?" He said, addressing to Morgiana.

She reviewed her previous experiences from the last few hours, which sent her mixed impressions. "The school is really remarkable. I really like it," She said with a soft smile, hoping to ease the tense.

"Hmm..." He nodded. "How about you, Aladdin? Did miss Yamraiha teach you?" He then looked at the blue haied boy.

"Uhm..." Aladdin turned his head above, his eyes meeting the high ceiling of the dining room.

Morgiana could tell that Aladdin was a magician because of the different uniform he wore. He had a wizard's hat and a metal wand leaning on his chair. She wondered about the things the kid could do; she pictured Aladdin lifting a huge boulder and lobbing it to the direction of the bad guys using a complicated magic spell.

"Actually, it wasn't 'Miss Yamuraiha' who attended our class. It was another miss that I..." Aladdin squinted his eyes, thinking deeper. "...well, I forgot her name!" he smiled sheepishly at Alibaba, whose left eye twitched.

"What did that 'miss' tell you?" The blonde tried to keep patient with a little smile.

"She said that Miss Yamraiha would be late and would attend our class tomorrow instead. She also said that Miss Yamraiha's ship was delayed because of the storm."

Alibaba raised an eyebrow. "Storm? The day is perfectly fine, isn't it?"

Morgiana thought of the same thing, but there was something in the air that was odd. The breeze she felt this morning was soothing, yet, it was quite cold. Maybe there was really a storm coming.

"Well, we couldn't tell," Aladdin shrugged. "The weather is unpredictable, right?"

The blonde frowned. "But you told me you haven't experienced rain. You're contradicting yourself."

Aladdin grinned. "I just learned it from a friend!" He looked down at the flute he wore as a necklace and gripped it tight.

She tilted her head a bit. _Haven't experienced rain?_ Her curiosity flared once more. How could he not experience rain? Was he locked in a cage or something?

"What do you want with Miss Yamraiha anyway?" Aladdin looked at the blonde without taking off his hold against the flute.

"I want to talk to her about that flute of yours," Alibaba said, as he puffed a cheek.

The blue haired kid turned at his flute once more. "How many times do I have to tell you, Alibaba-kun? He is my friend, Ugo-kun."

Morgiana's eyes grew big. Flute? As a friend? What sort of mind did Aladdin really have?

"Yeah, yeah. I know him. But I want to clarify some things to Miss Yam, so I really need to see her," Alibaba rolled his eyes and sipped some of his remaining juice.

While gulping the juice, Alibaba noticed Morgiana, who was looking at him. "Hey, Morgiana!"

The Fanalis girl snapped out of her gaze. "Huh?"

"I really hope you don't feel out-of-place with us. He is just an idiot," The blonde gestured at Aladdin.

"Hey..." Aladdin reprimanded.

Alibaba ignored the kid beside him as he placed his cup back on the table. "You were the girl this morning, weren't you?"

Morgiana felt a strong pump of blood within her as she slowly nodded.

"I want to apologize again, since we haven't gotten the chance to talk longer. I hope that the lunch is enough as a peace offering?" The blonde scratched the back of his neck out of instinct as his lips formed a half cresent.

 _Is he really serious?_ "I can't accept your apology because it was my fault.

"No, it was _my_ fault."

"No. It was mine," Morgiana said sternly, as her cheeks puffed.

Alibaba hid inside of his shell and just nodded, forcefully agreeing that what happened last morning was her fault.

"Wait a minute, Alibaba-kun, Mor-san," Aladdin raised a hand, gathering the attention from the other two.

"Alibaba-kun," He turned to the blonde. "Mor-san is the cute girl you were telling me this morn-prvdszrttz," Alibaba quickly wrapped his arms around Aladdin's head, covering the kid's mouth and stopping him from saying something more.

"Aladdin!" He squeezed the kid tighter, as the blue clad tried to escape from the hold. "You see, Morgiana, this kid is an idiot!" Alibaba turned his head and met Mor's astounded look, his cheeks tinted with pink.

"I'm not lying!" Having the opportunity to escape from the wrap, Aladdin blurted out.

"You shouldn't tell those secrets!" Alibaba hissed.

 _Cute girl? Me?_ Morgiana tried to process what she had heard but she couldn't. When did she become cute? Moreover, it was _Alibaba_ -as Aladdin said- who gave that remark. She suddenly felt something weird within her stomach, but she knew she was not hungry anymore, since she just ate. _What is this feeling?_

While Aladdin and Alibaba spent the remaining time in brawling and chatting abouth things Mor didn't know, the loud bell rang, alerting all stidents inside the dining hall. The trio stood up simultaneously and looked at each other.

"Well..." Alibaba sighed.

"See you again, Mor!" Aladdin beamed, his bright smile rivaling the sun.

"Thank you very much, Alibaba-san, Aladdin," She bowed down.

"It's alright, Morgiana!" Alibaba tapped the girl's shoulder, as he smiled at her, gently.

They all parted ways and headed to their respective rooms, with joy seen in their faces. Morgiana had mixed emotions after meeting those two. They even considered her as their friend. She couldn't stop herself from smiling.

* * *

Morgiana entered the room with a cool look from her. She was in an obvious good mood, but she retained the nonchalant look she always wore whatever she may feel. She headed towards her seat, waiting for a teacher to come.

Since she was beside the window, it was her only entertainment and to contradict boredom. It looked like Aladdin was right about the storm. The sky was dark and she could see the lightning from a distance; rain was really approaching.

She just remembered that she had no protection against the rain.

By the looks of the sky, it seemed like the rain shower would last long until their dismissal time. She only carried her stuffs by her bare hands and because she had nothing to shield herself like an umbrella, her only roll of papyrus would be soaked in water; it would be completely useless.

Only if she had the power to stop storms, she would definitely do it. What she had was a strong body, not a waterproof one.

She sighed and wished for a miracle.

After a few minutes of waiting, the door opened. She snapped her head toward the direction.

A classmate of hers gasped. Until finally, a very familiar blonde entered which made her gasp as well -he was no other than, Alibaba.

Why was he there? Not that she didn't want to see him, but what she knew was that Alibaba was also a student, just like her. She now wondered who he really was.

"Hey guys, this is Class E, right?" He said, nonchalantly.

"Yes," The student nearest to him answered.

"Alright," Alibaba entered the room, as all eyes were into him. Alibaba stopped in the middle and blinked, seeing the surprised expression from the class. "First of all, I am not your instructor, okay. I am just substituting him... I guess," He whispered the last two words, as he received a squint of the eyes from Mor. The blonde cleared his throat. "Our class is assigned to come over the rooms of classes without a teacher. Basically, I'm assigned..." he grinned. "...to watch over you," He spanned his pen and looked at Morgiana, as he waved a hand.

Mor felt awkward, since all eyes averted to her. She decided to just bow down to acknowledge him.

"Actually... You... _We_ have nothing to do. You can roam around the campus if you'd like. As long as you keep yourselves from dying, it's fine with me."

After that, half of the class went out.

Morgiana looked at Alibaba with a perplexed face. The boy noticed this, and gave Mor a grin.

"Morgiana!" The blonde half whispered.

Since she was already looking at him, she nodded and gulped. _Why was he calling me?_

Alibaba walked toward her and pulled a chair, placing it beside Mor's. The red haired shifted a bit from her seat.

"Can I sit beside you?" The blonde asked.

"Yes," Morgiana said hastily, as if she already expected the question.

"Uh, you know... I was not able to ask you," He sat down.

"Huh?"

"Where do you live?"

Morgiana creased her brows. Asking about her home was uncommon. He, visiting her was more...impossible. She could not let him see her poor situation.

Alibaba felt she was taken aback. "Oh, I mean, since you have never received the benefits of winning that raffle, maybe your house is somewhere else...?" He scratched the back of his neck and smiled at her in a sheepish way.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you..." She bit her lips. "...not this time," Morgiana bowed her head down.

She couldn't tell him her location for her fear that he would despise him and disregard their friendship. But then, maybe she could spare some time since this was just the first day of school.

"Why not? We're friends, right? And friends go into each other's house!" He exclaimed, in a childish manner. After declaring that, murmurs from the other students echoed inside the room.

Alibaba sighed and settled down, crossing his legs. "Alright. I guess I couldn't force you," He pulled out a pocket watch and looked at it with a frown. "I only have five more minutes..." He mumbled.

Morgiana leaned on her chair and turned her head to the window. Now she felt so bad. Were friends really required to do such things? She really needed to learn more about the world. Being unable to explore the planet made her close minded about matters like friendship.

The blonde stood up, gathering the attention from everyone but Morgiana. She was too busy thinking of what she should have said.

"I'll just sit there, Morgiana," He placed a hand on Mor's shoulder, alerting her, "It's kinda off and I feel like my instructor is coming," He whispered in Morgiana's right ear. He was about to leave when the Fanalis grabbed Alibaba's wrist.

 _Okay. What should I say?_ She just stopped him with no reason.

"Uhm," She quickly removed her grip. "It's fine. I just..." She looked at her desk with a frown.

Alibaba tilted his head. "What are you-"

Suddenly, a surprise guest appeared. The blonde already knew who it was. He quickly spanned, facing the door.

"Young master! What have you done?!" An aged man, wearing the uniform of the army said.

"Oh! Hi, Barkak!" Alibaba waved a hand at the fuming man.

"Why did you leave your classmate there?! You were supposed to watch over Class C!" Barkak said, panic within his voice.

"Them...?" Alibaba acted innocent, but the stopped for seeing Barkak's red face. "Alright. My bad. I'm coming," The blonde walked toward his instructor. "Guys, you'll be dismissed at 3:00," With that, he went out of the room and left the students in the class with another confused expression.

"What was that?" A classmate of hers said. Someone giggled and looked at Mor.

"Hey, Morgiana! You and that guy are close, aren't you? You're lucky!"

The red haired flinched.

She decided to ignore the chats from her classmates and just looked at the scenery provided by the window.

Skipping a chair from behind her was Hakuryuu, who sighed and bowed his head a bit.

* * *

 _Oh great..._

When the bell rang, the most awaited rainfall also came. She almost punched the glass window in frustration. Why did it have to be three o'clock?

Having no so much of a choice, she grabbed her things and embraced them. She must not stay in the school longer because she still had a work to be done. If she wouldn't, then she also wouldn't gain foods and shelter.

She hastily skirted her way out, hoping that the rain stopped or at least weakened.

But it seemed like the clouds didn't want her to eat.

Just when she opened the door, a strong thunder roared. Flashes of lightning scarred the sky. Even the wind joined the action.

Her other schoolmates were expectedly lucky, for they have servants to fetch them. Obviously, she didn't have,

"Need some help?" A voice from her behind knocked her out of her thoughts. She snapped her head ajd met the golden gaze.

"A-Alibaba-san?!" Mor narrowed her eyes. She couldn't hide her surprise by opening her mouth wide.

The blonde grinned, opening his umbrella. "I guess this has a room for two."

* * *

 **A/N: Looks like there is something... Haha... Yey! Another chapter! What do you think? Please write a review, pretty please!**

 **Thank you for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4: Little did I know

**A/N: I know that this is no time to interrupt y'all, but I just wanted to say thanks for your continued support. I'm also very sorry... I just reached the part of my life when I couldn't write a word and just stare at the paper blankly. It was the worst.  
**  
 **Without further ado, dig on!**

 _ **Chapter 4: Little did I know  
**_  
 _ **Morgiana~  
**_  
"Uh, uhm..." Morgiana rolled her eyes from different directions, as she slowly took a step back. She was startled at Alibaba's sudden appearance and more importantly, she couldn't ignore the glares thrown at her from all directions.

As she progressed from stepping back, the protection from the roof was gone and the rain showered her.

Alibaba quickly stretched out his arm, his umbrella shielding Mor from the rain. "I told you, this has a room for two!" He said as he joined Morgianna under the umbrella with a sly grin.

The red-haired girl stiffened her body and looked firmly at the ground.

Another unexpected happenned between them. First, they bumped into each other this morning. Then she met him again during lunch break and he even bought her lunch. And finally, they became friends. It was fast, and too much too process. Perhaps, this was her most tiring day, so far.

But she couldn't stop thinking; was destiny playing with the two of them?

If that was so, destiny should stop or she would squash it into pieces.

The rain showed no sign of stopping and Mor was extremely annoyed by its stubbornness. It was even getting stronger as the time went on. If the storm was a human, it was like a kid, with his tongue protruding from his mouth.

The two of them stood at that spot for about some minutes and Mor could feel that Alibaba was getting uncomfortable, just like her.

"We can now start to walk," Alibaba said, smiling a bit down on her.

Morgiana nodded once, without removing her fixed stare at the wet ground. They started to walk towards he main gate in silence -with the torrential rain tormenting her.

The gate was wide open. When they reached the final step from the school, Mor took a full stop, making Alibaba do the same.

"I can go from here."

It was a full silence after the last word, aside from the pattering rain around them. Well, at least that was how it looked like.

Morgiana finally raised her head and met his fixed gaze, seemingly begging her like a puppy wishing for a treat. "Come on, Morgiana," he said with a soft smile.

The red-haired felt like she was about to surrender, but her strong will strengthened her. She stiffened her body and fixed her stare. "Thank you for the invitation, Alibaba-san. But I insist," she hesitantly stretched out a hand, but a force somehow made her hold his wrist tight.

The blonde didn't give any sign of surprise from the contact. In fact, he even smiled and only if he had a free hand, he would have returned the grip.

"Okay, I understand. But I look forward in visiting you, huh," he bowed slightly, which made Mor aware that she was still holding him. In haste, she removed her hand, as her cheeks became tinted with red.

"But I still have a favor," before Morgiana was able to speak a word, Alibaba cut in. He handed over the umbrella with an expectant smile.

She raised a ridge of an eyebrow, but found herself holding the umbrella.

"Please bring it with you," he grinned, as he took a step back, releasing him from the protection of the umbrella. He was quickly soaked from the rain.

Morgiana narrowed her eyes, as if saying, "Seriously?" To anybody's eyes, it was a complete foolishness. But for Mor who was utterly grateful for the offer, a smile -but faintly- had never been unavoidable.

But her logical part woke her up and she panicked, realizing the situation of the guy.

"Oh! You don't have to!" She panicked, as she passed the unbrella back to him.

Alibaba quickly stopped her and pushed back.

But he didn't expect that Morgiana was insanely strong.

After some time of exchange of the umbrella, Morgiana grew impatient. She angled a leg on the ground and stomped real hard, enough force for breaking the ground and shutting everyone up; including Alibaba. The blonde stopped, as he cautiously took steps back, his eyes narrowed with terror.

Morgiana's head hung low, her fists clenched. She slowly looked at the trembling guy.

"O-okay, Mor. Y-you really don't have to..." He gasped.

Alibaba just stared at the cutest sight he had ever seen, as his mouth hung agape.

Well, the _funniest_ , to be exact.

Morgiana's cheeks flushed with red, as they were puffed adorably. Time suddenly stopped, as the rain weakened just a little bit.

Alibaba snickered. Morgiana pouted harder. Not a moment too soon, Alibaba finally lost it. He bursted into laughter, comically rolling on the ground. His eyes were watered with tears, as he felt his stomach clenching tightly inside of him.

Mor looked at him, her pout still retained. She couldn't understand what was so funny. Shouldn't he be trembling with fear and running away like a child? She could break his bones like those were just a petite stick. Instead, he rolled into the ground laughing.

Perhaps she could apply as an entertainer where she could exchange umbrella with someone and scare him with a stomp.

"Oh-ok..." Alibaba stood up, as he wiped her tear-filled eyes. He snickered and finally regained his bearings. "You're really cute," Alibaba said between pants.

Morgiana's eyes grew big, as those words entered her ears like music. But before she could take another action, a lady, just some years older than Alibaba himself, clad in a decent servant outfit ran to them. Her brown hair was tied in a bun, leaving some strands.

"Young master!" She called with a distinct high-class accent, as Alibaba turned around. The woman stopped in front of the blonde, as she stared at him with horror. "What ever must have happened to you, sir!"

Alibaba pointed his finger at her and then to him. "Uh? Me?" He looked at himself and everything finally sank in. He scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly at the woman.

His uniform was painted with dirt and splashed with water like an art canvass. The lady placed the back of her hand on her forehead, as a gesture of fainting. "What would I say to your mother, you silly child!" She stared at the messed uniform, as if those were some sort of invaluable possession. "Y-your suit! It is all ruined!"

Alibaba rolled his eyes. "Okay, calm down, Rara. I could wash this off, you know?" He crossed his arms.

The lady sighed, as she placed the stray hair strand at the back of her left ear. "Alright, let's go now. The rain ruins more of your outfit," she gestured ahead.

Alibaba raised a brow. "What outfit?"

The lady graoned. "Oh, let us just go, young master!" Before she turned around, she saw Morgiana, standing idle with a neutral expression. Her eyes grew large, as if she gathered energy from somewhere.

"Tell me; who is that girl?" The lady pulled the hem of Alibaba's uniform.

Alibaba smirked. "She's my friend, and we need to take her to her home."

Both the girls gasped.

Morgiana frowned. They never agreed to anything such as that. Moreover, her only roll of papyrus was soaked with rain and it almost looked like a hanging fabric on her arms. What more herself?

"What are we waiting for? Come with us, young lady," The servant smiled, as she went to Mor and grabbed her arm. She never protested, since she had no choice. Her things were already ruined, anyway. She kept her head bowed low.

Alibaba threw a smile at Morgiana, as he wore his victory smirk.

The lady led Morgiana to a fancy-looking carriage, carried by a brown horse. She opened the door for her, as she politely bowed to Mor. The red-haired bowed her head as well, as she hesitantly stepped in the carriage. She didn't know if she could really enter. She was just a peasant, not given the opportunity to go in such a high-class ride. She looked back to ask some reassurance from the lady, who nodded her head with a smile.

Morgiana bit her bottom lip, as she finally slid herself in. She sat down on the seat on the left side and felt the soft foam beneath her becoming wet because of her soaked skirt. She blushed out of her embarrassment.

Sooner, Alibaba entered as the carriage shifted with the added weight. He sat beside Mor, as both of them were soaking wet. It seemed like Alibaba didn't mind at all. A smile had been plastered on his face, which Mor wanted to strip off.

When the door closed beside the blonde, the horse started to trot with a weak whip.

Suddenly, a head popped from the small window in front of the occupied seats. It was from the lady a while ago, who wore a soft smile. "Master, can I ask your friend something?"

"Of course. And why do you have to ask me?" Alibaba asked sternly with a slight frown.

The lady frowned a bit, as she turned to Morgiana. "Miss, may I ask for your name?"

Mor turned to her with her usual neutral expression. "My name is Morgiana," she bowed slightly.

The lady smiled more broadly. "I am Anastasia Belle, but you can call me as Rara."

Morgiana looked at _Rara_ and stretched out a hand, but realized that the other wouldn't be able to return the gesture. She just nodded her head to acknowledge. She wanted to ask what was Rara's role in Alibaba's life, but found out that it was not the right time. She stared back at the window solemnly and watched the raindrops, falling unstoppably against the glass window of the carriage.

"By the way, Rara. Keep this a secret."

Rara choked dramatically. "Wh-what?!"

Alibaba rolled his eyes. "I mean, my being soaked and all," he grinned.

It was Rara's turn to roll her sapphire eyes. "Seriously, now?" it sounded more of a whine than a complaint.

"Just this time, please?"

"Alibaba, you have said the same exact thing for _years_! And you _always_ get caught!"

"Well, not this time!"

"Suit yourself, master. Whatever happens to you is none of my concerns anymore," Rara went back to her seat as she closed the window.

Alibaba muttered some incoherent words and turned to Morgiana. "Hey, Mor. Where's your place?"

Morgiana turned to him. "Along the river," she said faintly.

The guy raised a brow and insterted a finger in his ear, as if cleaning it from some blockage. "Say what?"

 _This is it._ "The slums."

Alibaba was taken aback. He slowly frowned and stared blankly at Morgiana. "I see."

Morgiana had seen this coming. If ever someone would know where she lived, they would just leave her in the dust and never talk to her anymore. She didn't expect anyone to accept it, especially from the students of the university. "Would you like to go in such a place?"

Alibaba held his fixed gaze. "Why not?" He said simply.

Morgiana couldn't help herself but to gasp faintly. She turned to the other direction and clenched her fists tight.

"Alibaba! No, I mean, Miss Morgiana! Lead us to your home, please?" Rara asked from the other side of the carriage.

Mor bit her lips. She had no choice, for the nth time. "Turn left and cross the bridge. Two more blocks and that's it."

"Okay! Thanks!"

Morgiana was surprised of the sudden change of voice. Perhaps, the extra weight she felt from he carriage was indeed from another person with them.

"Ah, he's John. He's rrally a nice man," Alibaba said to Mor, when he saw her reaction.

Morgiana nodded.

Alibaba turned to the other direction and observed the place. He frowned, as he leaned on the window.

After minutes of silence, the carriage pulled over. "We're here!"

Morgiana tried to find a lever that would open the door. She didn't fail, but the lever seemed to be locked. She gently turned it, but it never worked. Having a really short temper, she pouted and pulled the lever, breaking it in the process. The door swung open, as her eyes narrowed. She slowly turned her head back, and found Alibaba, snickering.

"You're a strong girl, aren't you, Mor?"

Morgiana winced and quickly went out of the carriage. "Thank you for the ride. I must go now," she bowed down.

"Wait!"

She stopped and turned around. Alibaba threw an umbrella, which she caught with her hands. "See you tomorrow!" Alibaba waved, as the carriage moved forward.

Morgiana was left under the rain with a confused expression. She looked at the umbrella given to her. "Okay. Tomorrow."

~~~~~~~~

 _ **Alibaba**_ ~

"Master Alibaba? Master?"

Rara called from behind, but when she didn't receive a reply, she peeked at the window and found a spacing out blonde.

" _ **Alibaba**_!"

"Huh?! Wha-?" Alibaba was shaken away from his thoughts. He looked around and found a frowning face before him. He crossed his arms. "Why?"

Rara sighed. "I just wanted to say that the girl a while ago seemed to be nice. But..." She looked down. "I didn't expect that she would be living here," she bit her bottom lip and looked at Alibaba. "Did you know all these?"

Alibaba turned to the window, as he watched the people outside. There was a woman by the streets who wore tattered clothes, carrying her child. She and the child were both thin and pale, as they both shivered in the rain. Alibaba frowned, as he felt his heart shattering. He couldn't stand such sight.

"I guess, this was my fault," the blonde clenched his fists, as he furrowed his brows.

Rara softened her gaze. "I'm sorry, your highness. But you know tha-"

"No. It really is _my_ fault," He looked at Rara with disappointment. "Morgiana was supposed to be my responsibility, including all these people here. But... why," He bowed his head down and looked at his tight fists. He gritted his teeth in frustration. "Why _couldn't_ I, do something?!" He turned to Rara. "So much for a prince."

Rara frowned and thought of something to say. "Alibaba, there are some things we cannot obtain. The people here lack of attention from the government, while you, as a prince yourself, lack power. But that doesn't mean you cannot do anything to help them," she smiled.

Alibaba raised his head and looked sternly at Rara. "I just failed."

The brown-haired lady rolled her eyes. "This is _not_ the time to fret, Alibaba. Do that in front of your mother," she went back to the other side.

The blonde sighed and laid his chin on his palm. "You're really useless, Rara. You should have stayed in your boutique," he mumbled.

From the front side of the carriage, Alibaba heard Rara choke. He snickered and looked back at the window.

He couldn't stop thinking about Morgiana, particularly her condition. She lived along the poorest of the poor. As he had seen, her house never looked like a decent home for someone. It couldn't shelter a person from heat, rain and other things. It didn't look comfortable to him.

If a person experiences such living, what more to the other people in that area?

There could be hundreds or thousands of them. He even concluded that all those poor people consisted of more than half of the population of the entire kingdom.

A lot had never changed. It was the same from the last years. No progress, no change; just... _poverty_ all over.

They reached the palace grounds, as the soldiers gave way for the coming carriage. Alibaba quickly opened the small window inside. "John! Go at the back!" He whispered.

A middle-aged man with a darker shade of yellow hair turned to him, as he pulled the horse into a stop. He looked at Alibaba with his emerald eyes. "Why?"

Beside him, Rara crossed her arms. "We will figure it out soon, John."

The man nodded his head and turned the carriage to the other direction. They passed the main entrance, as they stopped in front of a small entance into the palace.

"Don't you think that the guards would find us suspicious?" Rara asked with her distinct accent, as she raised a brow.

"Trust me."

John and Rara looked at each other with flattened eyelids.

~~~~~~~~~~

Alibaba was known to his honesty, but sometimes, his honesty was so honest, that some people must think twice.

He was unbelievable. Unbelievable in a way, that his promises were always dumped into the sewers.

He couldn't always get away from the eyes of his mother. Everyone knew that.

"Why were you all wet, again?" A fair lady, with a simple peach dress, her hair tied on a side of his head and piercing amber eyes looked at Alibaba with a hand on her hip. She was known from the name, Anise.

"Uhm. You see, I was just," Alibaba hid his mouth with a towel. He had already changed his wet clothes and he was currently wearing his casual outfit.

His mother raised a brow. "Just...?"

The blonde sighed. "Alright. I give up," he set the towel aside. "Mother, I just took a friend to her home, that's all."

The amber-eyed lady smiled. "Looks like my boy is growing up, eh?" She pulled her son in her arm, and messed his hair.

"Mother! I am not a boy!"

Anise let him go and looked at him with fear. "Don't tell me..."

"I am a _man_ , you see!" Alibaba spreaded his arms, as he stood up.

Anise chuckled. "Then you're a man who gets home from rolling like a dog on the ground?" She smirked.

Alibaba groaned.

Anise sat on a chair beside the fairly large bed, adorned with golden strips of silk. She gestured for her son to take a sit as well, as she looked at him, expectantly. "Tell me more about this girl."

Alibaba was thankful he had his mother beside him. Sometimes, he wasn't for she usually ruined his escape plans. Nevertheless, his mother was the one he trusted the most. He could tell everything to her and she would never judge him.

"You see, I met her in the entrance. She already intrigued me because she was the only one in the campus who wore unusable pair of shoes," he snickered. "And she was really funny," he looked at his smug mother. "What?"

Anise smiled. "Go on."

The blonde frowned slightly but chose to continue. "I treated her lunch, becuase she didn't have any. Well, we ate together with Aladdin, and mother, you know what? She was the one who won the raffle."

His mother raised both eyebrows and smiled knowingly. "Do you think that's... _destiny_?" She said dramatically.

Alibaba sent his mother a sarcastic half-lidded stare. "That's not the point, mother," he frowned. "And you know what?"

"What?" Anise grinned.

"She's strong. And... _cute_. _Really_ cute. You should see her, mother," he turned to look at his mother and found a snickering and probably the most annoying person in front of him.

Anise was fiddling with her finger, as she was muttering some incoherent language, which she only understood. She was wearing an evil grin, as her back faced Alibaba.

"That really is a good idea, Alibaba. You should totally invite her here," Anise turned to Alibaba, wearing a sly grin.

The blonde frowned, but slowly, his scowl turned into a wide grin. He grabbed his mother's hands and shook both of them, excitedly. Anise showed the same excitement, as they laughed menacingly.

"You're the best, mother!"

"I know!"

~~~~~~~~~ 


End file.
